Scarlet Macaw vs White Pine Blister Rust

Ara macao compared with Cronartium ribicola

Key Differences

• Scarlet Macaw is Least Concern while White Pine Blister Rust is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Scarlet Macaw	White Pine Blister Rust
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Fungi (Fungi)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)
Class	Aves (Birds)	Pucciniomycetes (Pucciniomycetes)
Order	Psittaciformes (Parrots)	Pucciniales (Pucciniales)
Family	Psittacidae (True Parrots)	Cronartiaceae
Genus	Ara (Macaws)	Cronartium
Species	Ara macao	Cronartium ribicola

Conservation Status

Scarlet Macaw

LC — Least Concern

Population: ~50.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

White Pine Blister Rust

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Scarlet Macaw	White Pine Blister Rust
Diet	Herbivore	—
Average Lifespan	50 years	—
Average Length	85 cm	—
Average Weight	1.0 kg	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Scarlet Macaw

Habitat

Typically found in grasslands, forests, and vegetated habitats.

Range

Found across Europe (5 countries) and South America (Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela). Population trends indicate a declining trajectory in parts of its range.

White Pine Blister Rust

Habitat

Native to Asia and Europe and North America, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (China), Europe (9 countries), and North America (Mexico, United States).

Scarlet Macaw

One of the most brilliantly colored birds in the Americas, scarlet macaws display vivid red, yellow, and blue plumage with wingspans reaching 1 meter. Found in humid lowland forests from Mexico to Bolivia, they are highly intelligent, long-lived — up to 75 years — and form lifelong pair bonds. They travel long distances to clay licks where they consume mineral-rich soil to detoxify seeds. Listed as Least Concern but locally threatened by habitat loss and the pet trade.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 5 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇫🇷 France 🇳🇱 Netherlands 🇳🇴 Norway 🇬🇧 United Kingdom